Advice needed. Networking via LinkedIn: Accepted? Frowned upon?
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on 1/25/12 at 10:38am
It'll be a few months before I start my MBA in fall. My immediate goal is to secure a summer (2013) internship with a top firm. I'm trying to take whatever steps necessary in order to do so. Does it make sense to reach out to people on LinkedIn for introductions or informational interviews *now*?
Or should I wait before I start the program and then leverage the campus resources (intranet sites, alumni etc), instead of reaching out to strangers now itself?





We had a few guys in my MBA
We had a few guys in my MBA who interfaced with bankers and recruiters in advance of going to school.
In general it is a good idea. My firm actually sponsors an official "pre-MBA" recruiting event to meet candidates before they even start school.
LinkedIn is a great tool to find the right people. Reaching out to working alumni of your future MBA is a great place to start. Also you could send emails / inmail to recruiters and get on their radar screen very early.
Be careful as there are downsides to this plan, particularly if you are a career changer and don't know anything about finance. You could stick your foot in your mouth or make yourself look stupid.
Start talking to people now,
Start talking to people now, some people even get an intership before they start MBA programs. I'm a fan of linkedin and got my current job by networking there. Even if they won't connect with you, plug their name into the company's email format for about a 70% hit rate.
Introduce yourself, ask about what they do, and try to get a coffee meeting.
It helps to wait a few weeks between a linkedin rejection and a cold email. People have short memories and you can usually start fresh with the cold email. Good luck.
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i like this post very much
i like this post very much
LinkedIn is an excellent way
LinkedIn is an excellent way to network. I know a lot of people that have found their current positions through LinkedIn.
Some advice first - make sure your profile is in excellent condition. Your work experience shouldn't be vague, but very clearly state your measurable success. Next, get credible people (not just your friends) to endorse your skills and leave comments attesting to your excellent work. Also, keep you work and areas of expertise very focused on the type of job you want to obtain - too broad means that you aren't taking it very seriously. Finally, use a professional photographer to take a picture of you. It should be in a work setting with business attire.
Carefully choose who you want to network with. If it starts to look like you might be copy and pasting an email to everyone you can find, people will be very uninterested. I am sure that you already know this, but really take the time to learn about them, their company, and if you can about their specific job or role within the company before sending them a message.